NSFA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding season postponement
Can I continue to play?
Following the recent FFA announcement, all NSFA football activities have been further postponed until 31st May. This includes:
- Preseason trial matches
- NSFA Competition matches
- FFA Cup & State Cup involvement
- NSFA club training (both pre-season and winter season)
- Football events or gatherings (team meetings etc..)
- NSFA football programs, including XLR8 Player Development Programs
- NSFA Coach Education courses and workshops
Can I continue to train within my team environment using a club booking?
No.
Am I insured if a group of us play/train/have a kick around?
No. All NSFA football activity will not be sanctioned and therefore members that take part in this type of activity do so without the support of the FNSW insurers.
Can I take part in ‘external’ academy training/one-on-one sessions?
Players taking part in this type of activity do so at their own risk and under the insurance of the private contractor they are engaged with.
What about private academies or external providers who may offer extra training or one-on-one sessions for players?
Football NSW response – We all have a civic duty and community responsibility to follow and comply with the Federal Government’s guidelines with to social distancing and ‘stay at home’ isolation so as to minimise the spread of COVID-19. As such, we discourage ANY such football activity with private academies and external providers.
Participation in any unsanctioned football activity is done at your own risk. This includes nonsanctioned futsal, modified football, small-sided football and private academy activities. If players make individual decisions to participate in such activities, they must seriously consider the potential ramifications for the football community and the broader community should they contract COVID-19.
We all hope to resume playing football in the near future. If, when we do resume, a player or coach tests positive for COVID-19, a series of containments and shutdowns will need to be implemented and these could jeopardise recently resumed competitions. Clubs, Associations and Football NSW reserve the right to act appropriately should FFA’s directive be ignored. We also remind all participants that any football activity they participate in during FFA’s suspension is not sanctioned by FFA or by Football NSW and therefore, is not covered by the insurance policies provided as part of registration.
What does this mean for our competitions structure?
The Competitions Department at NSFA are confident of achieving 14 rounds of football, based on the FFA date of commencement (May 31st).
We will be maximising competition games during this period and have already began discussions with clubs as to what this may look like. We can also confirm that we are exploring alternative solutions with clubs and local councils to extend the football season and squeeze as many games into the time frame as possibly safe to do so.
Will the NSFA, State and FFA Cup go ahead in 2020?
The NSFA Cup and State Cup have been cancelled in 2020 to prioritise the Association competition. A decision regarding the FFA Cup will be made by FFA in due course.
Will we still have semi–finals / grand finals?
No, under the current circumstances NSFA is prioritising the competition and will work towards a ‘first past the post’ model.
Will Champion of Champions occur in 2020?
At this point in time, Football NSW are unable to comment on the Champion of Champions for 2020. Due to the evolving nature of the situation, further information will be released when a season commencement date is announced and competition formats and structures are fully understood.
What happens to my registration fees?
At this point in time, we ask our football community to maintain their football registration for season 2020. By retaining your registration, you are helping your club and NSFA staff plan accordingly which is extremely important to be consistent during these times, particularly whilst working alongside external stakeholders.
We can also assure you that pro-rata refunds will be provided should the season be impacted in any way. As you would appreciate, further information is required prior to NSFA and Clubs confirming what this may look like. We are working with FFA, Football NSW, the insurance provider and NSFA clubs to fully understand this situation.
What happens to the Active Kids voucher that was used to pay registration?
We can confirm that Active Kids vouchers cannot be redeemed for cash. This is in direct guidelines with the T&C’s of the vouchers.
Does this include the Association representative teams?
The NSFA postponement to all football activity applies to all NSFA registered members, including the Northern Tigers Development Squad players.
I have registered for a Coach Education Course / Workshop, will they be rescheduled?
We will endeavour to re-schedule Coach Education events once the season has officially commenced. All registered participants will be sent further communication regarding the newly proposed dates.
How do I access the free home skills challenges distributed by XLR8 Player Development?
Please visit the XLR8 Player Development Facebook, Instagram or YouTube pages to see the latest home skill videos, challenges and trick shots.
As a coach, is there any coach education that I can take part in during the football postponement period?
Yes, please visit the INSPIRE Coach Education Page. The NSFA Coach Development team will be updating coaching tasks to be completed each week.
Is the NSFA Office open?
The NSFA office is partially open, with one staff member available via the office phone. If you need to reach out to a member of staff please visit the Contact us page to locate the relevant staff members email.
All staff members are currently working from home.
When will further updates from NSFA be released?
We are currently sending out an association-wide communication each Friday morning to update our membership. This will be delivered into the inbox of all registered players and volunteers.